Your body relies on an enzyme called ALDH to clear acetaldehyde.
In your 20s, it worked at peak efficiency. You cleared acetaldehyde quickly — and woke up feeling fine.
But over time, enzyme activity naturally slows down. Not broken. Just slower.
So the same 2–3 drinks now leave acetaldehyde lingering longer.
And as long as it lingers, your nervous system doesn’t fully power down.
That’s why the same drinks affect your sleep more.
It’s not that you drink too much. You’re just clearing more slowly — and that step can be supported.